'Sopranos': Which cast members won't make the cut?

Imagine a Sopranos without Dr. Melfi and Meadow! Wait, you don’t have to imagine: That was season 6. Okay, imagine a Sopranos without Melfi, Meadow, A.J., Paulie Walnuts, Silvio, and Bobby Bacala. You might be imagining season 7 (season 6.5?), if a salary dispute among the actors and HBO isn’t resolved. The aforementioned posse feel left out of the series’ spoils, and this is their last chance to cash in. Thus: hardball. So far, neither side seems willing to give.

Golly, this might mean beginning the eight-ep finale season-ette with awkward lines about “poor Bobby, eaten by Janice, f—in’ tragic,” or “poor Paulie, turns out there was an unresolved storyline lodged in his prostate, f—in’ tragic,” or “poor Silvio, turns out he was really Stevie van Zandt from the E Street band, f—in’ tragic.”

Oh, who are we kidding? It’ll come down to the wire, a settlement will be worked out, the usual. There are too many storylines at stake. Unless, of course, HBO makes separate deals with separate players and union-busts ‘em.

Just in case this gets really ugly, we’ve drawn up a storyline that ought to resolve HBO’s problem.

FADE IN

EXT. NEW JERSEY

Melfi, Meadow, A.J., Paulie Walnuts, Silvio, and Bobby Bacala all go into a store. Pan up to name of store: DYNAMITE STORE